


RomAntics

by shes_an_oddbird



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fitzsimmons Secret Valentine, Fluff, seriously just a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 02:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9798071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shes_an_oddbird/pseuds/shes_an_oddbird
Summary: Romancing (Verb):a. to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness:Antics (Noun):a. a grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.Or 5 times Jemma attempts to out romance Fitz and the one time she learned she might already have.Happy Fitzsimmons Secret Valentine to theclaravoyant! Who asked for Jemma Outromancing Fitz. I only hope I did such a fun prompt justice





	

**Author's Note:**

> I must admit I'm exhausted. This was such a great prompt but through this entire month of I've worked on it I've had what i'm calling a writer's cramp. My story was there and my knew exactly how I wanted it to go but every time I sat down to write it it was like walking through a fog. I genuinely believe I forgot how to write. Which is why this is so down to the wire and probably loaded with mistakes. 
> 
> I only hope that the wonderful theclaravoyant is amused at my attempts at humor and Jemma's antics which seemed much funnier when they were not on paper. You've been absolutely lovely and I'm so glad I got to be your secret valentine this year.

It was only after Fitz gave her a tiny nudge that Jemma acknowledged the incessant chirping of her alarm. She couldn’t ignore it, she’d already allowed herself to hit the snooze button yesterday, she didn’t want to make a habit of it. Although it was much more appealing to stay in bed curled around her warm and cozy boyfriend, she had stuff to do and as long as she turned off the alarm before its little song ended she was still on schedule.

She finally did pull herself from the bed, slamming her hand down on the off button before Fitz was officially disturbed and grumpy as a result. Jemma looked down at his sleeping form. Every morning, once her side was vacated, Fitz stretched his limbs out in every direction, lying diagonally across the bed. She shook her head in amusement. He always had preferred to sleep that way; adjusting to having her there with him had not been easy. Many nights she found herself inches from tumbling off the edge of the bed.

God he was adorable. Jemma allowed herself a few moments to admire the sleeping man, before she absolutely had to start getting ready. As she dressed she couldn’t help but take extra notice of their things so easily meshed together. Both their papers strewn across the desk. Her family pictures and his. Her sweaters and his and her shirts and his all folded up in one drawer. It wasn’t ideal the cramped space they shared but it was sufficient.

Feeling a burst of affection, and knowing better than to wake Fitz if she ever wanted to get on with her day, she took a page from her note pad and scribbled down a message.

_Fitz,_

_It’s going to be another long day, meetings and press conferences and translating the lab reports into “English” for Mace. I’m starting to forget what the lab even looks like. If I start to forget what you look like I swear I’ll quit. I’ll try to stay awake, but if I’m asleep when you come in just know that I love you and I miss you. Let’s try to find time for just us this week._

_Love, Jemma_

She set the note on his tablet where she knew he’d find it and headed off to work. She’d mostly forgotten about it until she returned to their room late that evening. Fitz was still working in the lab and probably would be for another hour at least. She was surprised to find the bed made, usually the covers were just tossed back and she would drop in to make it sometime around lunch. Though she didn’t have time for that today.  Even more of a surprise than Fitz making the bed was the folded sheet of paper placed on her pillow.

_Jemma,_

_I miss you too, so much. I’m afraid any day we’re not side by side for most of our waking hours and sleeping ones I’ll miss you. But I’ll take what I can get, be it five minutes as you walk from meeting to meeting or a sixty second video chat when we’re just two rooms away from each other. I’ll try to work more quickly today, so you won’t have to stay up too long. Not that you have to wait up, I’m sure your exhausted. I could never do everything that you do in a day, I am so amazed by you. You should get your rest and we’ll start fresh on spending more time together tomorrow. I know it’s probably late now that you’re reading this, you really must stop for lunch sometimes, so instead of hoping you have a good day I’ll just say I hope you had a wonderful one._

_All my love, Fitz_

Jemma wiped at her eyes. Why was she crying? Why was he so wonderful? All she did was leave him a silly little note and she receives this in return. He was always such a romantic.

As she was about to set aside the letter and decide which book to tuck it away inside of for safe keeping when her eyes narrowed. Was that what this was about? He was still trying to prove he was more romantic than her? She knew they could be competitive but this seemed a little ridiculous. And he certainly wasn’t playing fair. It wasn’t even a note, it was a beautiful letter. The kind you kept in a box in your attic that your grandkids found decades later.

Well he wasn’t going to get away with it. She’d proved it before and she’d prove it again. She was just as romantic as him. Maybe even more.

* * *

 

The next morning Jemma’s alarm went off fifteen minutes early. She dressed in half the time and answered her emails from her phone as she breezed through the local grocery store for supplies and a slightly less local grocery store since so few people carried buffalo mozzarella.

He just had to love the sandwich with the homemade pesto aioli and the fancy cheese and the bloody imported prosciutto didn’t he? It was a time-consuming pain in the ass to make and she really had a tight schedule that day as it was. But that just made it all the more romantic to prepare the beloved lunch for him.

Once it was done, she left it in the fridge with his name on it in large letters so he wouldn’t miss it and no one else would mistake it for their own. When she passed him in the hallway on her way to meet with Mace she grabbed her hand tugging him to a stop. “There is a surprise for you in the kitchen.”

She has to keep moving so he only smiled back confusedly and holds her fingers until they can’t reach anymore.

Aside from the look on Fitz’s face, the best part about making that sandwich was she snacked while making it so she wouldn’t be starving if she didn’t have time to stop for lunch. She never expected to balance out her lack of lunches with a beautiful three course meal. When she returned to their room that night she found Fitz had dragged out a folding table and chairs and set it up with candles and plates and napkins.

“Fitz what is all this?”

“Dinner.” He said simply and quickly moved to pull out her chair for her.

“But why?” It wasn’t an anniversary. Not since they started dating, not since they met, not since they graduated, not since any number of milestones they had conquered together.

Fitz took his seat across from her and began to remove the lids from the trays. “Just a thank you for lunch.”

“Well I think this a bit grand for a thank you.” Jemma said as she pulled the tray nearest to her closer for a whiff of what they were having. She recognized it immediately. Chicken Kiev from her favorite restaurant. They hadn’t been since their three-month anniversary. Everything had just been too hectic. She had attempted to recreate the meal herself but wasn’t ashamed to admit that it had fallen short. However, it had been just good enough to have left her craving it ever since.

Well that and their-

“We’ve got tiramisu for dessert.”

Oh it was on now. 

* * *

 

The next day was the first day in weeks she had down time. Not a day off exactly. She was on call as soon as Mace was out of his meeting but it was unexpected and had no predicted end time. She immediately headed for the lab. There was a compound she’d only worked out on paper that she’d like to see through to fruition but in the spirit of competition she arrived at the lab and took up her spot next to Fitz who smiled happily down at her, surprised to see her in the lab at all.

“What are you doing here?”

“Mace has a meeting.” Jemma explained. She pulled over some of the papers Fitz was sorting through. “What are you working on?”

“These are some unfinished designs I found in storage, most of them are too dated to bother with completing but there are a couple here with potential, you want to help me decide which to start with?”

“I only get to help choose?” She asked with an exaggerated pout.

“No, no you can help too, I just didn’t know how much -uh- time you had.” Fitz said. He smiled knowingly. “I know you hate to leave a project unfinished.”

“Well hopefully I’ve got some time, what about this one?” She picked up a design for an old-school spy watch. Like the ones Coulson liked to collect. “Has anyone updated what these do recently?”

Fitz smirked. “Uh, yeah, a little company called Apple.”

Jemma shoved his arm. “I bet we could come up with something better.”

“Me too.”

The meeting ended up lasting over three hours. In that time, she and Fitz sketched out designs for watches for men and women agents, with features of your typical health monitor watch, a standard GPS, a similar laser to that of the mousehole device and some designs even incorporated a backup dosage of dendrotoxin.

“These are great Fitz, I wish I could stay longer, but I’m sure you’ll make something the great out of what we’ve started here.”

Fitz shuffled the papers with a thoughtful expression. “You know this is nothing urgent, doesn’t have a deadline or anything, I can hold off working on it, until the next executives only meeting.”

A warm feeling swirled in her stomach. It was nice to know he missed working with her as much as she missed working with him. “It’s a date.”

\--

Jemma used to block out everything when she was running on the treadmill. Her brain had never liked to be idle but it was healthy to turn it off at least for a few minutes and the running gave her something else to focus on. Until she picked it up again after her return from Maveth. Then she found she needed distractions like music or it was a little too much like being back there, running, endlessly. She tried to find a good running companion but Daisy really hated it and May preferred her own routine. Elena was happy to run with her but she was on and off base so frequently it was always a surprise whether she was on the treadmill next to her.

She wasn’t today, although Elena was certainly on base but otherwise occupied. Jemma suspected she would see Mack for his morning workout either.

So instead she blasted her music through her headphones. Today’s pick was old pop songs. Maybe tomorrow would be classical.

The rhythmic beat pulsing through her headphones drowned out the hum of the machine next to hers turning on. It was only when she saw the familiar profile in the corner of her eye did she know anyone was even there. “Fitz?” She asked suddenly, tugging the buds out of her ears but trying to keep her pace.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” He was wearing what she was sure was his only pair of running pants and an old sweat shirt over an even older t-shirt.

“Jogging.” His jog was really more of a brisk walk but that was beside the point right now.

“Fitz you hate jogging.”

“Yes, but we said we’d spend more time together, since we’re so busy during the day I thought this was a good time.”

“But,” Jemma faltered, “you really hate jogging.”

“Yeah, but I really like you.” He said trying with some difficulty to flirt and fall into step with her. She slowed her pace just slightly. “I had tried the other morning but you must have been off to the store because I couldn’t find you in the gym and then the morning after our dinner I was still too full to even consider trying to run, but no excuses today.”

“Well alright, that’s really thought-FITZ!” There was a loud thump as Fitz mis-stepped on the treadmill and fell forward. The speeding belt dumped him on to the gym mat with a second, even more cringeworthy thud. Jemma slid off her own machine and dropped down onto the floor next to him.

“Are you alright?” Jemma turned him over, inspecting him for injury.

“No, no I’m alright.” Fitz mumbled. Jemma rolled her eyes and pulled him up to a seated position. She checked his eyes but everything looked good. The worst of his injury, aside from the brusies to fresh to see was a few scrapes from where the belt scratched him.

“Come on let’s get you patched up.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt your run.”

“Oh, no its perfectly alright.”

Leave it to Fitz, Jemma thought as she supported as much of his weight as possible, not only did he out do her attempt at quality time by spending time with her by participating in something he hated to do but now he’d gone and hurt himself in the process.

 --

Jemma was prepared long before Fitz returned to their bunk. Whether he would admit it or not she knew he was sore from his tumble off the treadmill and she could easily admit that she gave excellent massages. Her knowledge of the human body and a thorough understanding of how to relax muscles did give her an advantage.

She must have been quite the sight when Fitz walked in, towel laid out in front of her, basket of lotions and such next to her, candles lit. He faltered at the sight of her, positively beaming at him as she sat cross legged on the bed. He looked back over his shoulder into the hallway before entering and slowly closed the door behind him.

“What’s going on?”

“I thought maybe you could do with a bit of relaxing.” She said, patting the spot of the bed in front of her.

“Um well-yeah that would be nice I guess –“

“I mean you must be terribly sore, falling off the treadmill earlier.” He tilted his head at her.

“What—oh yeah, well a little I guess.”

“Well come on then.” Fitz clambered onto the bed, laying on his stomach only for Jemma to tug him back up to remove his shirt. Once he was settled Jemma swung a leg over to his over side and sat on his bum to give her the best access to his back.

“That smells nice.” Fitz muttered as she lathered his back in lotion.

Jemma smiled. “It sooths sore muscles and stimulates the mind.”

“Mmhmm.” Fitz acknowledgement turned into a hum of pleasure as she worked out a sore spot in his lower back. “God that feels good.”

“Well I’m glad.” She slid her hands along his sides, less focused by the minute on the massage and more so on pulled reactions from him. Did he have any idea what he sounded like? She pushed the heel of her palm into a knot between his shoulder and he groaned. Goodness it was like listening to one of those songs about sex on the radio.

Eventually they died down and she realized he may have started to does off. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better.” He reached one hand awkwardly back to take hers, running his thumb over her knuckles. Jemma did a second pass of the tenser spots and was just working her way over his shoulders when she was dislodged from her seat as he rolled over. “Thank you.”

Jemma leaned back against his propped-up legs. “Anytime.” The look on his face said it all. She had won this round.

At least she thought so, until once more she was tossed off balance as Fitz sat up abruptly and toppled her backwards on to their pillows, sealing their lips together in the process.

Perhaps this one would end in a draw.

* * *

 

Jemma placed the perfectly wrapped box on Fitz’s desk, drawing his attention from the Icer he was running maintenance on. It was a last-ditch attempt. She was running out of ideas that didn’t involve asking for time off or an increase in pay.

“What’s this?”

“Just a little gift.”

“But it’s not-“

“I don’t need an occasion to get you a gift Fitz,” she said, cutting him off before he could finish his objection. “I just wanted too.”

“Really-okay that’s good to know.” He stood from his chair. “Come with me then.”

“What about-“ He scooped up the gift, took her hand and nearly dragged her out of the lab and back to the bunks. “Fitz what are we doing?” Jemma asked with a slight bit of irritation as her gift was practically ignored.

“You’ll see.”

He shuffled around their bunk until he retrieved a small wrapped present as well. “It was sort of an impulse buy but I thought eventually I’d have an occasion to give them to you but since you said we don’t really need an occasion-“

Jemma’s irritation quickly faded, the competition falling out of mind briefly at the sight of the tiny package. “Thank you Fitz, come on lets open them at the same time.”

They each took a seat on the edge of the bed, gifts poised in their laps. “one, two, three…”Jemma slowly opened her gift, more interested in seeing Fitz reaction to hers. He had enthusiastically ripped away the shiny blue paper. Inside was a box set of documentaries and a monkey mug with all the ingredients for some old fashion hot cocoa nestled inside.

“Jemma this is great, I’ve been wanting to watch these since we saw the Amazon documentary, the team that works on them is genius.”  

“I’m quite excited myself, they received raving reviews.”

“Why don’t we watch the first one now, I’ll go boil some water if you-hey you need to finishing opening yours.”

“What?” Oh that’s right. Her gift still say in her lap half wrapped. She tugged off the rest of the paper, revealing a jewelry case. Her stomach swooped and sunk all at once. Oh, she was excited, certainly, but something told her she’d just lost the final round. She lifted the lid of the box to reveal a set of sparkling gold studs.”

“Oh they’re beautiful.”

“Really? Cause I wasn’t really sure, I know you don’t care for bracelets because they hang in the way and you’re so attached to that old watch of yours and you seem to really like the necklace I got you since you wear it so often a new one seemed unnecessary and these kind of matched it so-“ Jemma looked up at him with watery eyes. Damn him he’d done it again.

She took her face in his hands and pulled him into a kiss. “Why must you be so damn competitive you sweet man.”

Fitz stared back at her uncertainly. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh please Fitz, the dinner, the letter, the jewelry, the sex?”

Fitz’s jaw dropped. “Jemma I truly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re just trying to prove that you’re the more romantic one, out doing me every time I turn around.”

“When, when am I doing this?”

“Oh don’t act so innocent!” Jemma exclaimed. “First I leave you a little note purely because I was feeling extra affectionate that morning and then you leave me that beautiful letter.”

“Of course I did! I wanted to tell you how much I agreed with you but I didn’t think I’d see you at all that day and I really wanted you to get your sleep.” He explained.

“Okay fine well what about dinner, from my favorite restaurant and that dessert.”

He only shrugged. “A thank you for the sandwich, you’ve always told me it’s a pain to make.”

“But a three course meal is hardly the same thing.”

“You’re right all I had to was dial the phone and run down the street to pick it up, you make such a fuss with that sandwich I can’t believe you ever bother.”

“I bothered because I was trying to be romantic.” “Spending time together working on those designs, that massage I gave you the other night.”

“You do those sorts of things all the time.”

“Yes well you don’t always go through such lengths to one up me, jogging, honestly you can’t stand it and I’ve told you I don’t mind-“

“It was the biggest chunk of time I could think of to add to our time together.”

“And the sex, you really weren’t in any condition-“

“I just wanted to make you feel as good as you made me feel and I’m not nearly as good as giving massages so it seemed like a fair exchange.”

She fell back on the bed, covering her eyes with her arm. “Fantastic so even when you’re not trying you’re the more romantic one.” The mattress shifted underneath her when Fitz laid down next to her.

“Actually, I think the award for more unconsciously romantic goes to you.”

“Oh, and how’s that then?”

“You’re a cuddler.”

“A what?”

“A cuddler,” he draped an arm over her waist and pulled her closer, “every night even if you’ve already dozed off before I even come into the room, I’m in bed not two minutes and you’ve curled yourself all around me like a cat or something and you’re asleep the whole time. I’ve even kicked you away, unintentionally of course- you know how much I have to spread out but you just latch on tighter, honestly you’ll take us both to the floor one of these days.” She still wasn't convinced. "I think its extremely romantic that you can sleep like that, that you want to be that close to me." 

Jemma looked at him uncertainly. He was holding her so close she had to really crane her neck to see his face. The view made it worth it, just his loving blue eyes staring down into hers. Finally, she let out a short laugh.

“What?”

“It’s nothing, I just think if that’s the case then instead of the award reading most unconsciously romantic it should read most romantic while unconscious.” Fitz let out a barking laugh and pulled her over until she laid on top of him.

“I love you.”

She rested her head on his chest with a contented sigh. “I love you too, I’m sorry I turned your kind gestures into a competition.”  

“No big deal, now that I know what’s going on I can really fight back, prepare to be wooed." 


End file.
